Written Answers Wednesday 9 April 2008

Scottish Executive

Health Expenditure

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 22 February 2008 on the implementation of the NRAC recommendations and in particular that "no Board will receive less funding than it does at present and any changes will be phased in over a number of years", whether the phrase "no Board will receive less funding" refers to increases equal to or greater than the rate of inflation.

Nicola Sturgeon: No board will receive less than at present, taking account of inflation.

NHS Hospitals

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to deal with any problems of NHS staff leaving posts at hospitals at which car parking charges have been introduced in order to work at hospitals where the charge has not been introduced.

Nicola Sturgeon: Neither we within the Scottish Government, nor officials within NHS boards where car parking charging schemes are in place, have any evidence that staff are leaving posts at such hospitals to work at other NHSScotland locations where car parking charges have not been introduced.

  It is clear that car parking spaces cannot be provided for everyone and we must strive to achieve an appropriate balance between the needs of patients, visitors and staff in the use of car parking spaces, especially where these are limited because of the constraint of a particular site. We shall continue to ensure that charges are only introduced where appropriate and necessary and that the level of charge is reasonable, with provisions in place for an appropriate allocation of staff car parking permits. Discussions and decisions on car parking policies will continue to be taken forward on a partnership approach to ensure that car parking schemes are applied consistently, fairly and transparently.

NHS Hospitals

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of NHS staff at hospitals where car parking charges have been introduced have been granted parking permits and on what basis applications for such passes are judged.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the proportion of staff with car parking permits at those NHSScotland hospital sites where car parking charges have been introduced.

  The criteria used in the allocation of staff car parking permits has always been a matter to be determined locally and the revised guidance issued in January supports this approach but emphasises that such criteria should only be developed and agreed in discussion on a staff partnership basis. Each board’s area partnership forum or equivalent is likely to be the best forum for such discussions, drawing upon local expertise of the relevant services, HR managers and occupational health staff as appropriate. The criteria should take account of good employment practice, that car use may be essential to the delivery of services and personal circumstances which may justify the use of a car to travel to work, including ill health and disability and significant continuing domestic or carer commitments.

  The revised guidance also requires that the criteria used in determining who should be granted a permit is applied consistently and transparently and that staff are provided with clear, accessible and widely available information on site-specific procedures for the allocation and issue of car parking permits and any concessions available.

  

 Proportion Of Staff Within Parking Permits


 Board 
 Hospital
 % Staff with Permits


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 Southern General
 17


 
 Gartnavel General 
 29


 
 Victoria Infirmary
 8


 
 Western Infirmary
 13


 
 Yorkhill
 12


 NHS Lothian
 Western General
 17.5


 
 Royal Infirmary
 34


 
 Royal Hospital for Sick Children
 5.5


 
 St John’s
 100¹


 NHS Grampian
 Foresterhill
 20²


 
 Dr Gray’s
 n/a


 NHS Tayside
 Ninewells
 20


 NHS Highland
 Raigmore
 35³



  Notes:

  1. When traffic management arrangements were first introduced within West Lothian all staff applications for permits for St John’s Hospital were granted including those from community staff and staff based outwith St John’s but legitimately and regularly visiting the site. The practical effect of this is that considerably more staff than simply those based at St John’s have permits – the actual percentage of staff with permits equates to 138% of the St John’s-based staff.

  2. Refers to "priority permits" only – staff who do not qualify for these permits are automatically entitled to a "general permit" available for use in public car parks.

  3. All staff are entitled to a permit but no guarantee that a parking space will be available.

NHS Hospitals

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to improve public transport to and from hospitals where car parking charges have been introduced.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHSScotland boards have for some time been required by the NHSScotland Environmental Management policy to co-operate with local authorities, regional transport partnerships and other stakeholders in the planning and implementation of local and regional transport strategies. By engaging in this way, we seek to ensure that through integrated transport policies NHSScotland facilities, in particular new developments, are accessible to all by public transport, as well as by other means such as walking and cycling.

  Boards are also required to develop site-specific travel plans as a requirement of the Scottish Government’s national transport strategy. These plans are required by the end of April 2008, although many have been in place for a number of years, and seek to comply with the Scottish Government’s long-term vision, objectives, priorities and plans for travel management.

NHS Hospitals

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will judge the success or failure of guidelines it issued to NHS boards on hospital parking charges and how such judgement will be made.

Nicola Sturgeon: For those boards where car parking charges are currently in place, we shall be reviewing their current car parking schemes against the principles and criteria set out in the revised guidance. Accordingly we have asked for reports from these boards by 30 June 2008 and once these reports have been considered we shall issue a full policy statement on the provision of car parking at NHSScotland facilities and our proposals for updating the existing guidance.

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many investigations into fraud were carried out by police forces in each year since 1999, broken down by constabulary.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.

  Number of Crimes of Fraud Recorded by the Police by Police Force Area, 1999-2000 to 2006-07

  

 Police Force
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Central
 632
 694
 871
 1,152
 1,235
 781
 1,077
 633


 Dumfries and Galloway
 478
 293
 440
 514
 460
 1,066
 212
 262


 Fife
 1,348
 1,747
 1,130
 1,333
 1,279
 1,296
 866
 710


 Grampian
 3,840
 3,260
 2,936
 1,922
 1,349
 1,630
 1,120
 727


 Lothian and Borders
 5,456
 6,217
 5,087
 4,325
 4,630
 7,242
 2,241
 1,741


 Northern
 675
 965
 971
 940
 674
 934
 744
 566


 Strathclyde
 6,983
 6,227
 5,370
 4,844
 4,711
 4,200
 3,873
 3,781


 Tayside
 1,208
 640
 590
 798
 939
 1,158
 941
 912


 All Scotland
 20,620
 20,043
 17,395
 15,828
 15,277
 18,307
 11,074
 9,332

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints related to breaches under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were received by police forces in each year since enactment, broken down by constabulary.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested cannot be shown separately, but is contained in the figures shown below.

  Number of Election Offences Recorded by Police Force Area, 2000-01 to 2006-07.

  

 Police Force
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Central
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 0
 0


 Fife
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Grampian
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Lothian and Borders
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Northern
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Strathclyde
 0
 1
 0
 5
 1
 0
 0


 Tayside
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 All Scotland
 0
 1
 0
 6
 1
 0
 0

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) complaints related to incidents of criminality were received by police forces from members of the public and (b) police investigations took place following complaints related to incidents of criminality in each year since 1999, broken down by constabulary.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally. The police recorded crime statistics do not identify whether the crimes recorded were made known to them by members of the public.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide sufficient funding to ensure that there is no reduction in the number of secure places for young people in 2008-09.

Fergus Ewing: It is the joint responsibility of local authorities and the Scottish Government, as the purchasers of secure accommodation, to ensure sufficient places to meet the needs of young people in Scotland. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely and imaginatively with providers and local authorities to ensure that this first class accommodation continues to be put to good use in improving the outcomes of young people and their communities.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10434 by Fergus Ewing on 7 March 2008, how much it will allocate to fund places in secure units in 2008-09.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government and local authorities fund the secure estate through the purchasing of beds for young people sentenced to detention, remanded to secure and young people authorised for secure care through the children’s hearing system. Funding for children’s services, including the provision of secure accommodation, is part of local government’s Grant Aided Expenditure settlement which was announced on 14 November 2007. The Scottish Government’s budget includes provision to meet the costs of those secure places which are its statutory responsibility to fund.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10434 by Fergus Ewing on 7 March 2008, how much it provided to fund places in secure units in 2007-08.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government and local authorities fund the secure estate through the purchasing of beds for young people sentenced to detention in secure, remanded to secure and young people authorised for secure care through the children’s hearing system. Local authorities are expected to meet the costs of services to children, including secure accommodation, from within their Grant Aided Expenditure settlement for 2007-08. Scottish ministers’ budget for 2007-08 included sufficient funds to meet the costs of the places which are its statutory responsibility to fund. In addition, funding of £3.8 million was allocated in 2007-08 to redevelop and maintain the secure estate.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10434 by Fergus Ewing on 7 March 2008, how much it expects local authorities to contribute to the funding of places in secure units in 2008-09.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government and local authorities fund the secure estate through the purchasing of beds for young people sentenced to detention, remanded to secure and young people authorised for secure care through the children’s hearing system. Local authorities’ contribution will be determined by local need.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any concerns about potential job losses in 2008-09 in the organisations that provide places for young people in secure units.

Fergus Ewing: The operation of secure units is a matter for the local authorities and independent organisations who manage them. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely and imaginatively with providers and local authorities to ensure that this first class accommodation continues to be put to good use in improving the outcomes of young people and their communities.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allocate sufficient funding in 2008-09 to ensure that there are no job losses in organisations that provide places for young people in secure units.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government and local authorities fund the secure estate through the purchasing of beds for young people sentenced to detention, remanded to secure and young people authorised for secure care through the children’s hearing system. Funding for children’s services, including the provision of secure accommodation, is part of local government’s Grant Aided Expenditure settlement which was announced on 14 November 2007. The Scottish Government’s budget includes provision to meet the costs of those secure places which are its statutory responsibility to fund. The operation of secure units is a matter for the local authorities and independent organisations who manage them.